Clothes hanger



May 20, 1958 M. c. HORNE CLOTHES HANGER Filed Oct. 22. 1954 INVENTOR Marion C. Horroe ATTORNEY CLOTHES HANGER Marion C. Horne, Miami, Fla.

Application October 22, 1954, Serial No. 464,082

Claims. (Cl. 223-96) This invention relates 'to a hanger construction for holding clothes, and it particularly relates to a clothes hanger adapted to clampingly hold a pair of trousers or a skirt.

There have, heretofore, been various attempts to provide a clothes hanger which is particularly suited for clamping the cuff-ends of a pair of trousers or the waist portion of a'skirt so that the trousers or skirt hang down for their full length. This type of hanging generally permits slight wrinkles or creases in the garments which occur during wear, to straighten out under the action of gravity on the garment. However, none of these prior devices have provided for the positive clamping of the garment, while, at the same time, being free of any creasing action on the garment. They have also, generally been relatively complex in structure and, therefore, difiicult and expensive to manufacture, expensive to buy, and difiicult and expensive to keep in repair.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a clothes hanger which is capable of positively clamping the ends of trousers or a skirt and which, at the same time, is capable of being easily released from its positive clamping position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes hanger which is composed. of relatively few parts and which does not easily break down in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes hanger which is capable of easy manipulation.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved clothes hanger, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efiicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which;

Fig. 1 is a front elevation-a1 view of a clothes hanger embodying the present invention, showing the hidden parts in dotted outline.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1, showing the device in full line when in open position and in dotted outline when in closed position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the top portion of the device, the view being partly in section and partly in elevation.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the toggle and threaded rod arrangement.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to'similar parts, there is shown a hanger, generally designated 10, comprising two side sections 12 and'14. Each of these sections 12 and 14 meet in a unitary top portion 16 and each consists of a pair of oppositely curved concave arms 18 and 20 which descend from the top or upper portion 16. The bottom ends of the arms 18 and 20 on each side section are joined by a straight, horizontal clamping member 22. The clamping member 22 is, itself, curved around on ited States Patent 0 2,835,423 Patented May 20, 1958 itself to provide greater strength and rigidity. These curved portions of the clamping members on the two side sections are shown at 24 and 26 in Fig. 2.

A pad, made of felt, cork, rubber or the like cushioning material is shown in Fig. 2 as connected to the inside of the clamping member 22' of each arm, these pads being shown at 28 and 30. However, the device is capable of operation without the cushioning pads and the inner surface of the clamping members may even be roughened as by grooving or knurling to provide a better gripping surface.

Intermediate each section 12 and 14, at the junction of the arms 18 and 20, are provided a pair of spaced eyelets as at 32 and 34. Within these eyelets are positioned pivot pins, such as shown at 36 and 38. The pin 36 may be integral with a toggle arm 40 and the pin 38 may be integral with a toggle arm 42. The toggle arms, each of which comprises a rear wall and a pair of side walls, are of slightly different widths, the toggle arm 40 being slightly wider than the toggle arm 42. Because of this construction, the upper end of arm 42 fits snugly within the upper end of arm 40. Each of the arms 40 and 42 are provided with corresponding holes 44 in their side walls, and through each pair of these holes extends a lug 46. These lugs 46 are integrally connected to an internally threaded ring 48. The lugs 46 and holes 44 provide a. pivotal connection between the toggle arms 40 and 42 and the ring 48.

. Extending through the ring 48, and in threaded engagement therewith, is a partially threaded rod 50. The upper portion of the rod 50 is unthreaded and is constructed at the top thereof in the form of a hook 52. This hook 52 consists of a horizontal bottom portion 54, a straight vertical portion 56 and a curved top portion 58. The unthreaded portion of the rod extends through a central opening 60 which is formed in the top wall of the upper portion 16. A pair of stops 62 and 64 are provided on the rod, the stop 62 being above the opening 60 and the stop 64 being below the opening. These stops limit the vertical movement of the rod relative to the clamping portion of the hanger.

The operation of the hanger is obvious from the construction. The hook 52 is used to rotate the rod 50, and is sufficiently rigid to be flipped around by ones finger. When the rod is rotated in one direction, the ring 48 is moved up, acting through the lugs 46 to swing the toggle arms 40 and 42 up to the dotted outline position shown in Fig. 2. This actsto positively clamp the clamping members 22 against the garment shown in dotted outline at 66. This positive clamping is not liable to be inadvertently opened by shocks or by accident such as would be the case where only a spring clamping action or the like were in effect. However, when the clamping members are to be opened to release the garment, the rod is simply rotated in the opposite direction and the arms 40 and 42 are moved to the open full line position shown in Fig. 2.

The main portion of the hanger, here illustrated, is constructed of metal. However, either all or part of the device may be constructed of plastic or other desirable material. When molded from plastic or the like, the eyelets 32 and 34 are molded together with the side sections. Otherwise, as when made of metal, the eyelets may be made separately and welded onto the side sections. The same is true of the pivot pins 36 and 38; these pins being either molded together with their respective toggle arms or separately made and fixed thereon. It is also within the scope of this invention to make the clamp ing members shorter for trousers and longer for skirts.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, What is claimed is:

1. A clamp type clothes hanger comprising an inverted U-shaped frame, the ends of the legs of which are provided with horizontal clamp bars, means attached between the legs of said U-shapcd frame having a loW mechanical advantage for flexing said legs to bring said clamp bars together or positively separate them through their full range, manual operating means therefore, said flexing means comprising a pair of toggle levers hinged to said legs and to each other by horizontal hinges, said operating means including a hanger hook having a threaded shank rotatably held against axial displacement in the top of said U-shaped frame and a threaded collar cooperating with said threaded shank and having hinge pins for said hinge between said toggle levers.

v 2. A hanger as defined in claim 1, said collar being above said hinges between the toggle levers and said legs.

3. A hanger as defined in claim 2, said U-shaped frame having a substantially straight top portion and right angle corners.

4. A hanger as defined in claim 3, said leg hinges being at substantially the mid-point of said legs.

5. A hanger as defined in claim 4, said toggle levers being comparatively long so as to require only a minimum rotation of said hanger hook to operate said clamping bars through their full opening and closing range.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 789,180 Spruce May 9, 1905 1,515,489 Johnson Nov. 11, 1924 2,200,669 Cook May 14, 1940 2,203,034 Stec June 4, 1940 2,337,723 Levin Dec. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 71,471 Austria Apr. 10, 1916 

